The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-11-09
Your Temper.

Only very few persons are willing
to admit they have bad tempers. Their
opinion Of themselves is that they are
amiable and docile, and even sweet,
and that if all the rest of the world
were as serene and genial as they,
there would be barely ripple of un-
pleasantness in society. 1t is the
crankiness of other people, they sadly
say, that makes SO much disturbance !;
why are they not polite and placid as
we are? But according to Mr.. Fran
els Galton bad tempered people are in
the majority. He has gone to the
trouble of getting impartial opinions
respecting nearly two thousand peo-
pie, and the result is that fifty-two per
cent. of The whole number are credit
ed by their friends with various kinds
of this disagreeable infrmity. They
are all explosive people of course !;
simple eXplosiveness is by no means
the worst sort of bad temper. Indeed,
as compared with some others, it is al
most innocent. We know that in the
common judgment it is the quick, ex-
citable man who is said to have high
temper. and hence a bad one, while
some other person not given to such
outbursts, but who is peevish and
crotchety, is let pass almost without
criticism. The philosophers names
for the many forms of bad temper ag-
gregate a formidable list, and suggest
in how many ways, because of this
one weakness, men can make them
selves disagreeable. They are collect
ed as follows Acrimonious, aggres-
sive, arbitrary, pickering, capricious,
captious, choleric, contentious, crotch
ETY., decisive, despotic, domineering,
easily offended, fiery fits of anger,
gloomy, grumpy, hash-hasty, head
strong, huffy, impatient, imperative,
impetuous, insane temper, irritable,
morose, nagging, obstinate, odd-tem-
pered, passionate, peevish, peppery,
proud, pugnacious, quarrelsome,
quick-tempered, scolding, sharp, short,
sulky, sullen, surly, uncertain, vici-
Gus, vindictive." Such a list is dis
couraging. 1t is not to be supposed
that any one person is ill-tempered in
all these ways he would be monster
if he we're; but even one such trait in
vigorous exercise is enough to make
one an annoyance, and even a nui
sance. If they be doubled, or are
massed to any extent, he is sure to be
an offender that all other people, good
tempered and bad, will be glad to get
away from.
But where does all this bad temper
come from? Mr.. Galton shows from
the date in his possession that it is
largely due to heredity. Bad-temper-
ed parents have bad-tempered child
ren-not always, but in many cases !;
while with good tempered. parents the
result is the other way. This is only
according to whst we might expect |;
but along with it is the fact that many
tempers that are good enough at the
outstart are spoiled by some improper
condition of life. Disease has good
deal to do with it. No one is likely to
be very amiable when suffering from
dyspepsia. Oppression, of work and
situation, will produce the same result.
Too much resistance, disappointment,
opportunity of tyranny, the curbing of
proud spirit, will also cultivate it..
1t often grows up in people, also, be-
cause they do not exercise self-control,
and thus has permissively place
when there is no direct cause produc-
ing it.
However it comes, it is misfortune.
1t should be fought against with all
the energy of Christian spirit, both
to keep it off, if it have not yet grown
into habit. and to expel it if it have.
Many of the domestic troubles we
read of have no other beginning than
a bad temper. Dozens Of men think
they are contending for the faith when
they are only giving rein to their cap
tiousness and intolerance. Society is
kept full of broils and fictions and
every good cause is hindered, because
people are acrimonious, aggressive,
are, in short, given over to some OF
the traits described in the black list of
Mr.. Gallon. 1t has been alleged, in
deeg, and with some show of reason.
that conceding to the drink-habit all
the evils it is charged with, there is
more discomfort in homes and general
society. and more harm done to relig-
ion and the cause of the gospel from
unregulated tempers than from drunk
enness. Whether this be so or not,
there is enough of it to produce a
great amount of misery, and TO sug-
gest the need of general reformation.